CrossFireArabia
Philippe Lazzarini, the head of the UN Palestinian refugee agency (UNRWA), stated that the agency is approaching a possible breaking point for its operations due to the ongoing attacks in the Gaza Strip.
Lazzarini added in a press conference in Berlin:
“I will not hide the fact that we might reach a point where we won’t be able to operate anymore.”
CrossFireArabia
CROSSFIREARABIA – Omanis protested in Muscat in support of Palestine and Lebanon, denouncing the ongoing Israeli aggression.
The protest was held at the Grand Mosque in the capital city of Oman against the ongoing Israeli war that devastated Gaza and killed and injured hundreds of thousands of its people; and continued its deadly war on Lebanon.
The “supporting stand” is trending on the social media with photos and images with Palestinian flags being hoisted.
CrossFireArabia
This is an “Urgent Appeal” made by Anas Al Sharif on behalf of Al Jazeera cameraman Fadi Al Wahidi
“My friend and Al Jazeera cameraman, Fadi Al-Wahidi, has suffered a severe decline in health after being shot by an Israeli sniper while clearly identified as press.
We are trapped in northern Gaza under siege. Without immediate medical treatment abroad, his life is in grave danger. I urge all relevant organizations to assist in facilitating his urgent transfer for treatment.
Your support could save his life. #SaveFadiAl_Wahidi
CrossFireArabia
Israel’s clear and continued pattern of targeting relief and ambulance teams in Lebanon is a serious violation of international law, especially international humanitarian law. Since the start of its most recent attack on Lebanon, the Israeli army has launched numerous military attacks directly against ambulance and relief crews, particularly those affiliated with the Islamic Health Authority, killing at least 120 medical and relief workers.
With no proof, an Israeli army spokesperson recently justified the targeting of paramedics and their vehicles in various parts of Lebanon by claiming that they were transporting “saboteurs and weapons”. In this regard, the Israeli army targeted on Sunday morning, 13 October 2024, a Red Cross relief convoy in the southern town of Sarbin, wounding four volunteers. This attack came after the Israeli army targeted a house in Sarbin in an initial airstrike, and then targeted the same site in a second airstrike after the Red Cross convoy arrived to search for the injured.
This targeting took place even though the Red Cross had previously arranged to visit the site alongside UNIFIL, the United Nations peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon. The Red Cross reported that the airstrike damaged its vehicles in addition to injuring four members of its team.
The Israeli army also targeted two aid trucks today (Monday 14 October), which were passing through the Ras Baalbek area. The trucks were flying Red Cross flags after receiving UN approval to deliver aid, according to official Lebanese sources. The bombing smashed the windows of the two trucks and injured the driver of one of them. The Israeli targeting in Lebanon follows the same pattern as in the Gaza Strip, raising the possibility that aid trucks may be targeted directly and repeatedly in the future under false pretenses and pretexts.
The Red Cross must be respected as a neutral and impartial organisation that conducts humanitarian work in field operations that assist and protect people who do not participate in, or have ceased to participate in, hostilities. Its mission is to alleviate human suffering and promote respect for the rights of those affected by armed conflicts and other situations of violence. It is required to protect these individuals, and to take all reasonable precautions to limit the impact of hostilities on them. The warring parties have a legal, moral, and humanitarian duty to protect medical and relief workers and not impede the delivery of aid.
Article 35 of the First Geneva Convention, and Article 21 of the Fourth Geneva Convention, both mandate the protection of medical transports. Article 21 of Additional Protocol I broadened the scope of this obligation to include civilian medical transports in addition to military medical transports under all conditions. This is supported by Rule 29 of customary international humanitarian law, which mandates that medical transports that are only used for medical transport must always be respected and safeguarded.
According to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, attacking medical facilities and transportation vehicles that use the distinctive emblems listed in the Geneva Conventions, in accordance with international law—including emblems belonging to the Red Cross—as well as attacking personnel, facilities, materials, units, or vehicles used in a humanitarian assistance mission constitutes war crimes under the Rome Statute. These crimes are also considered crimes against humanity because they are committed against civilians, particularly killing and willfully causing serious bodily harm or physical health. These crimes are part of Israel’s massive attack on the civilian population in Lebanon.
The international community must therefore fulfill its obligations to uphold and implement both international humanitarian and human rights law. It must put an end to Israel’s serious crimes against unarmed civilians in both the Gaza Strip and Lebanon, including its deliberate targeting of ambulances and relief teams that transport and evacuate the wounded, and ensure the freedom of passage of all medical and humanitarian missions. Targeting civilians and impeding the delivery of aid and relief to them indicates the intention to purposefully kill people not involved in fighting and military operations.
CrossFireArabia
Japanese-American film director Neo Sora said the world of cinema has failed to adequately respond to the genocide in Gaza, stressing the need for a stronger reaction during his appearance at the 2024 Venice International Film Festival.
US-born Sora, who posed with a Palestinian keffiyeh and a flag reading “Free Palestine” at the festival, discussed the art world’s attitude towards Palestine with Anadolu.
Describing the positive response he received at the festival, Sora said: “In Venice, there was a resounding applause for the keffiyeh and the Palestinian flag. People were shouting from the audience, ‘Free Palestine,’ and I was responding by saying, ‘Free Palestine.’
“Making films and having the privilege to attend international festivals like Venice gives me a huge platform to have my voice heard by people globally, including Japanese audiences,” he said.
Sora also expressed disappointment with the festival’s programing, saying: “I was a little disappointed because you could tell they were trying to create an equivalency by including one Israeli film and one Palestinian film in the same section of Orizzonti, where my film was featured.”
Oct. 7 and reality of genocide
“I was in New York on Oct. 7, 2023, when it happened. It was really difficult to stay motivated to finish my film in the face of such extreme, livestreamed genocide, the likes of which I’ve never seen in my lifetime. I think it’s the worst genocide we’ve witnessed.
“I questioned whether I could continue making films because what’s the point of telling stories about human dignity when we’re witnessing such horrific violence that strips people of their humanity? After reflecting on the past year, I am 100% convinced that it is indeed genocide,” said Sora, recalling events from Oct. 7 last year.
Sora added that Israel’s settler colonialism isn’t just a Palestinian narrative. “It’s not something I’ve only been convinced of through Palestinian voices. Israelis themselves say it’s a settler colonial project. Look at the words of people like David Ben-Gurion or the founders of the Zionist movement; they called it a settler colonialist project.”
Palestinian culture being destroyed
Sora emphasized the importance of boycotting organizations that support Israel, saying: “As consumers, boycot is critical. We need to show these big corporations that if they make films like Wonder Woman, or Marvel featuring Gal Gadot, who’s basically a spokesperson for the IDF, they’ll lose money because we won’t support those projects.”
“We’re at the start of an AI dystopia. More concerning, though, is that the responsibility for these war crimes is being shifted to military AI systems created by Israeli military and software companies. This is a disastrous situation, especially given the environmental impact of these AI systems,” Sora said, highlighting Israel’s attempts to evade accountability.
‘We are at a historic turning point’
Sora pointed out that artists and others are not doing enough to stop the genocide in Gaza.
“The fact that this genocide has continued for 367 days and now these atrocities by Israel are spreading to other countries, like Lebanon, shows we’re not doing enough. We all need to do more, whether we’re filmmakers, businessmen, lawyers, or professionals in any other field,” he concluded.
